Babcock Australasia has successfully salvaged hundreds of crucial military components from the decommissioned HMAS Anzac frigate, aiming to bolster the operational capability of its sister ships within the Royal Australian Navy. This initiative not only enhances the readiness of the remaining Anzac-class vessels but also provides cost savings by improving parts availability and reducing logistics timelines associated with maintenance.
Among the critical systems recovered are the vertical launch missile system, propulsion diesel engines, propellers, drive train components, and various other combat and platform equipment. These items will be reintegrated into military inventory to maintain the performance of the seven remaining Anzac vessels throughout their operational lifespans. Some components have already been successfully transferred to other frigates, facilitating quicker returns to service following maintenance intervals.
The six-month salvage operation was carried out under the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA), a collaborative framework that includes industry partners such as BAE Systems and Saab. This agreement focuses on maintaining Australia’s maritime assets while improving long-term fleet efficiency. The meticulous work required approximately 30,000 hours of effort, involving complex engineering solutions to ensure safe access across various levels of the decommissioned vessel for the extraction of key components.
Contributions from experts associated with the Commonwealth, along with collaboration from original equipment manufacturers like Penske, IKAD, Allship Engineering, and Kongsberg, were integral to the success of the operation. Following the retrieval, the decommissioned HMAS Anzac has been handed over to a disposal team.
Carl Blacow, Marine Program Delivery Director at Babcock Australasia, expressed pride in the project’s outcomes, stating that the efforts of the WAMA initiative surpassed initial expectations by recovering more assets than anticipated. “The WAMA alliance delivers long-term operational advantages to Defence because some of these valuable items have long lead times to repair or procure,” he noted.
Blacow highlighted plans for a forum with Defence and WAMA partners to review the experiences gained during the project, aiming to identify further efficiencies that can enhance future maintenance efforts. This is particularly significant as Babcock prepares to become the sole sustainer of the Anzac-class vessels in the region.
HMAS Anzac was the lead ship in its class, serving nearly three decades in various roles, including regional patrols, multinational exercises, enforcement of sanctions in the Persian Gulf, counter-piracy operations, and humanitarian missions throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The 118-meter (387-foot) frigate was officially decommissioned in May 2024 at HMAS Stirling, marking a significant milestone and the end of an era for the Anzac-class fleet.
